Crib bed



N. J. KROLL CRIB BED Filed Jan. 9, 1932 INVENTOR WITNESS:

Patented May 2, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NATHAN J. KROLL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CRIB BED This invention relates to certain novel improvements in crib beds, and has for its principal object the provision of an mprove construction of this character whlch will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

The well known crib bed new commercial ly in use includes oppositely disposed side rails which are connected to the head and foot panel of the bed in a manner such as will permit either or both of the side rails to be moved into a lower position to permit access to the interior thereof. The crib bed which I refer to has not proven to be entire- 1y practical for the reason that when either or both side rails have been lowered into its lower position, the crib bed as a whole loses its rigidity. This is explained by the fact that when the rails are in their upper latched position, they co-operate with the connecting plates which serve to connect the bed spring to the end panels of the crib. When these rails are in a lower unlatched position, the rigidity of thecrib depends upon the connecting plates. As these plates are not provided with large bearing surfaces, they are not sufficient alone to rigidly connect the parts of the crib together, such as the bed spring and end panels, especially when either 39 or both side rails are in their lower unlatched position, and there is considerable free play at the parts of connection between the bed spring andthe end panels to the extent that such parts will tend to tilt relative to each other especially when the crib is moved about'or weight applied thereto. By reason of these facts it'is apparent that the commercial value and utility of the article is greatly depreciated.

40 'It is, therefore, one of the many objects of my invention to provide a crib bed which has opposite independently movable side rails which are connected to the foot and head panels of the bed in a manner which will at all times assure rigidity between the connected parts irrespective of the position of either or both of the side railswith respect to the head or foot panels of the bed.

Another object ofthe invention is to pro- 5.? videanovel and simple combination and arrangelnent of parts which will permit either or both of the side rails of a crib bed to be adjusted in any position relative to the foot and head panels of the bed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a crib bed which includes the movable side rails connected in a novel manner to the foot and head panels of the bed by a simple combination and arrangement of parts which will not permit the side rails to be moved downwardly when pressure is applied thereto, thus eliminating the possibilities of a baby or child accidentally moving either of the side rails in a downward position'by reason of the childs weight upon the side rails.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the crib bed embodying the invention,-

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one form of connection between the side rails and the end panels of the bed as illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view, partly in section, illustrating a modified form of construction for connecting the side rail to the end panels of the bed illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is 'a fragmentary, sectional detail view of the same taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3; 1

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the same taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view, partly in section, illustrating a still further modified form of construction for connecting the side rail to the end panels of the bed;

Referring particularly to the drawing illustrating the preferred form of construction of the invention, the crib bed includes side rails 10 and 11, each of which includes an upper bar 12 and a lower bar 13. These 100 bars 12 and 13 are adapted to be connected to the head and foot panels 14 and 15, respectively, of the crib bed. To the head and foot panels of the bed is connected in any conventional manner the usual spring structure embodied in crib beds of this character.

As heretofore indicated, it is the objectof this invention to connect the side rails to the head and foot panels of the bed in a manner such as will not lessen the rigidity of the crib bed structure. While it is obvious that this may be accomplished by different means, I expressly point out that I do not want to be limited to the precise structure illustrated in the drawing for accomplishing this object, as the structures illustrated may vary in detail and design, my invention relating principally to a crib bed having the movable side rails connected to the foot and head panels of the bed without diminishing the rigidity of the structure of the same.

In one instance this object of my invention is accomplished by attaching to each l end of one of the bars of each side rail a U- shaped plate 16. Thisplate 16 has one end portion attached to the bar, such as for example the bar 12, by means of suitable attaching elements 17 illustrated in the form of wooden screws. The opposite ends of the plate 16 are provided with aligned openings. 16 and through these openings is positioned a rod 18, extending parallel with respect to the adjacent post 19. The upper end of this rod 18 is bent to extend substantially at a right-angle with respect to the intermediate portion of the rod and this end portion, indicated at 20, is projected through an opening formed in the post- 19 4 and secured to this post in any suitable manner. The opposite end portion of the rod projects through an opening 21 formed in a bracket 22 connected to the post 19 as at 23. Carried by this opposite end portion of the rod and supported by the bracket 22 is a coil spring 24 for reasons hereinafter more fully set forth. Positioned between the end portions of the plate 16 and embracing the rod 18 is an expansion spring 25 which functions to yieldably separate the ends of the plate 16. Formed in the rod 18 at predetermined points are notches 26 and 27 and adapted to engage in these notches is a latch finger 28 provided by an oscillatory rod 29 supported in a groove 30 formed in the bar 13,by means of a bracket 31, one end of which being provided with an opening 32 through which the rod'18 extends. The intermediate portion of the rod 29 is formed toprovidea handle and connected to this handle is a spring 34 having its opposite endportions connect ed to the bar 13 as at 35. This spring 34 functions to rock the rod 29 so as tordiswardly and the impact of the side rail when dropped downwardly is cushioned by the spring 24. In its downward position the side rail is latched to the rod 18 by the latching finger 28 which is then engaged in the notch 27 v When it is not desired to lower the side rail in its lowermost position, but to retain the same at any point intermediate the rod 18, the plate 16 being substantially U-shaped, and of a resilient material, and the limb thereof being forced outwardly by the spring 25, it will cause the rod 18 to wedge in the opening 16 and thus serve to effectively support the side rail in any position relative to the rod 18. This plate 16, while permitting the rail to be expeditiously and conveniently moved relative to the rod 18, also serving to retain the side rail in a connected position with the end pieces of the bed in a manner that will assure the rigidity between the side rails and the end panels of the bed, consequently preventing the tilting of the end panels of the bed relative to the side rails, or relative to each other.

In Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive I have illustrated another form of construction for accomplishing the object in question, and in this instance the post 19 is provided with a longitudinal groove 36 substantially T-shaped in cross section with the lower end of the groove terminating into. an enlarged opening 37 for the passage of'the heads 38 of spool-like members 39 carried by suitable bolts 40 secured to the side rail of the crib bed, whereby to effiectuate slidable connection between the side rail and the end panels of the bed.

The means for adjusting the side rail in any position relative to the ends of the bed in this instance includes a spring control pin 41 projected through an opening 42 formed in the side rail as shown. Thisrpin 41 provides a stud 43 adapted to be projected by action of a spring 44 into one of a series of spaced notches 45.

The result of this structure as well as the structure illustrated in Fig. 6 is substantially the same as the structure hereinbefore set forth with reference to the disclosure of the crib bedin Figs. 1 and 2. 1

In Fig. 6 I substitute for the pin 42 a set screw .46 having a finger knob 47 with the shank of the set screw threaded through an opening 48 formed in the side rail as shown whereby by rotating the set screw the end 49 thereof will be projected into wedging position against the base 50 of the groove 36.

In the manufacture of the crib bed embodying my invention, it is obvious that either one of the side rails may be made stationary while the other is movable. In this connection the connecting means between the movable side rail and the end panels of the bed will function with equal cfliciency to assure a substantial rigid-like structure between the movable side rail, the stationary side rail and the end panels of the bed.

I have found by making both side rails movable that the use of the crib bed is more practical and its usefulness greatly increased in that the crib bed may be positioned in various positions within a room such that the side rails will not obstruct access of the mother to the child confined in the bed.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A crib or like structure comprising end rails, rod members carried by the end rails and in spaced relation thereto, side rails movably supported by said rod members, latching means carried by and at the lower end of the side rails and including latch heads adapted for latched engagement with notches formed in the lower end portions of said rod members, and latch elements carried by and adjacent the upper end portions of the side rails and adapted for latched engagement with the rod members to effectuate latched connection between the rod members and the side rails when said side rails are disposed in a predetermined position with respect to the end rails and to effectuate substantial rigidity between the side rails and the end rails when said latching means is disposed from latched position with respect to said notches so that the end rails will be prevented from tilting relative to the side rails when said side rails are disposed in any predetermined position with respect to the rod members.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

NATHAN J. KROLL. 

